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The Joy of Six: Classic Germany v Netherlands Encounters

Rudi Voller and Frank Rijkaard get acquainted in 1990. Photograph: Getty Images
Rudi Voller and Frank Rijkaard get acquainted in 1990. Photograph: Getty Images
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The Joy of Six: Classic Germany v Netherlands Encounters

Rudi Voller and Frank Rijkaard get acquainted in 1990. Photograph: Getty Images
Rudi Voller and Frank Rijkaard get acquainted in 1990. Photograph: Getty Images

1) 1974 World Cup final: Netherlands 1-2 West Germany (Munich)

Historians disagree over the extent to which the five-year occupation of the Netherlands by Germany in the second world war was responsible for the enmity that built up between the nations, but what is certain is that this World Cup final was the first competitive meeting between the teams since 1945. The Netherlands side featuring Johan Cruyff was still an emerging force, they did not really expect to beat their all-powerful opponents, although they did believe the English referee Jack Taylor was conned by Bernd Hölzenbein for the penalty that allowed West Germany to equalise, before Gerd Müller scored the winning goal.

2) 1978 World Cup second round: West Germany 2-2 Netherlands (Cordoba)

The teams met again in the second round group stage at the next World Cup, so a draw was a satisfactory result for both sides. Holland’s Dick Nanninga was sent off late in the game for shoving Hölzenbein, who claimed he had been punched in the stomach. Without Cruyff, who stayed at home for personal reasons, the Netherlands would go on to a second World Cup final, only to lose once again to the hosts, this time Argentina. West Germany were knocked out after 3-2 defeat to Austria; most people thought the Dutch were the best team at the tournament.

3) Euro 1980 Group One game: West Germany 3-2 Netherlands (Naples)

Klaus Allofs scored a hat-trick in the victory that effectively meant the Netherlands went home after the group stage in Italy, though the game was also notable for the arrival of Lothar Matthäus as a substitute to earn the first of his record 150 German caps. Less wholesome was Rene van der Kerkhof punching Bernd Schuster in the face and a fight between the German goalkeeper, Toni Schumacher, and the Dutch defender Huub Stevens, all witnessed by a ludicrously lenient French referee. Nine years layer, a Dutch banner at a World Cup qualifying game would cause outrage by likening Matthäus to Adolf Hitler.

4) Euro 1988 semi-final: West Germany 1-2 Netherlands (Hamburg)

This was as good as it got for the Dutch and their supporters, beating the Germans in a semi-final in their own country, gaining revenge for 1974 and going on to win the trophy. The team of Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten was as exciting as anything from Cruyff’s era and deserved to make some mark on posterity, though by now the animosity between the nations was at its height. Ronald Koeman swapped shirts with Olaf Thon and offended Germany by using the garment to mockingly suggest wiping his backside, then after beating the Soviet Union in the final, the head coach, Rinus Michels, spoke for the fans when he put the achievement into perspective: “We won the tournament, but we all know the semi was the real final.”

5) 1990 World Cup second round: West Germany 2-1 Netherlands (Milan)

In terms of television and photographic coverage this is the one everyone remembers, not least because the sight of Rijkaard gobbing into Rudi Völler’s frizzy perm is not one easily forgotten. The pained expression of the relatively innocent German as both players were dismissed after a scuffle has also become an iconic image of implacable dislike, an emblematic snapshot of Italia 90 as vividly, if not lovingly recalled, as Gazza’s tears in this country. West Germany, the eventual winners, won the game with goals by Andreas Brehme and Jürgen Klinsmann to Koeman’s late penalty, but little of the football has lasted as long in the memory as the spitting or the German anthem being heartily booed by the Dutch before kick-off.

6) 2018 Uefa Nations League: Netherlands 3-0 Germany (Amsterdam)

Koeman’s team became the first in orange shirts to inflict a three-goal defeat on their bitter rivals, a match that continued Germany’s post World Cup woes and effectively set up a semi-final between England and the Dutch this summer. The Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, whereas Joachim Löw’s team went to Russia as holders, but it now seems Koeman’s players are on the up, with players such as Virgil van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum, who both scored in Amsterdam, and the Barcelona-bound Frenkie de Jong. Maybe the Nations League is not the sort of competition to bring out the old antipathy anyway, but anti-German feeling in the Netherlands was usually at its strongest when Germany were considered invincible.

The Guardian Sport

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Sinner’s Mastery Mindset Makes Him Man to Beat as Clay Swing Intensifies

Laureus World Sports Awards - Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain - April 20, 2026 Italy's Jannik Sinner poses on the red carpet ahead of the awards ceremony. (Reuters)
Laureus World Sports Awards - Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain - April 20, 2026 Italy's Jannik Sinner poses on the red carpet ahead of the awards ceremony. (Reuters)
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Sinner’s Mastery Mindset Makes Him Man to Beat as Clay Swing Intensifies

Laureus World Sports Awards - Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain - April 20, 2026 Italy's Jannik Sinner poses on the red carpet ahead of the awards ceremony. (Reuters)
Laureus World Sports Awards - Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid, Spain - April 20, 2026 Italy's Jannik Sinner poses on the red carpet ahead of the awards ceremony. (Reuters)

Jannik Sinner was once viewed as an explosive talent custom-built for hardcourt tennis but the four-times Grand Slam champion's assiduous work on his patience and control has made him the man to beat on clay heading into the French Open.

It had long been assumed that in his era-defining rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner would scoop up more Grand Slam titles on faster surfaces while the Spaniard would have the edge on red dirt.

Alcaraz, who has won seven majors, remains a formidable claycourt player and is the reigning Roland Garros champion but lost to Sinner in the Monte Carlo final earlier this month. He then suffered a wrist injury in Barcelona that has disrupted his preparations for Paris.

Sinner's progression will continue this week ‌in Madrid, which ‌is at a higher altitude than the other European clay venues ‌and ⁠quickens the pace ⁠of the surface, offering another opportunity for the 24-year-old to showcase his adaptability.

"Here it's a very unique playing style," Sinner said.

"It's a very high altitude and it can be windy at times, so it's very difficult to play. But I think every different kind of claycourt can help me as I'm trying to improve as a player."

Results at the big tournaments seemingly offer little to choose between Sinner and Alcaraz over the last couple of years but former player and sports psychologist Jeff Greenwald believes he has identified some ⁠subtle differences emerging.

"Sinner, even more than Alcaraz, has this unflappable demeanor that ‌is built from this deep love and appreciation of the process," ‌Greenwald told Reuters.

"He's the poster child for mastery, a desire to be as good as he can be, ‌which overrides the ever fluctuating, short-term obsession with this point, this win, that is almost always ‌trading the short-term result for longer-term success."

DECISIVE ADVANTAGES

That focus on mastery over moments has steadily reshaped Sinner's approach on clay, where his tactical discipline and ability to handle uncertainty are standing out as decisive advantages ahead of the French Open, which begins on May 24.

Sinner's mental strength could be tested in a different way as he confronts ‌the weight of expectation that comes with being seen by many as the favorite rather than the challenger over the next few weeks.

Greenwald said ⁠expectations were the most ⁠natural, yet potentially damaging, distractions for even great players.

"They try to not get preoccupied by them with the 'process mindset' as best they can but most of the players are vulnerable to this reality, given that their livelihoods are on the line," he added.

"This is where Sinner has an advantage ... he didn't develop this (mindset) after becoming successful. It was baked into his training and development. So whether he's labelled a favorite by the media and other players, this will not affect him.

"More than anything, it'll only solidify the confidence, remarkable resilience and joy he brings to every match."

If Alcaraz is fit to play, the French Open could prove a major mental test for Sinner after he lost to his great rival in last year's epic title clash.

However, with the career Grand Slam on the line for the Italian, he wants Alcaraz to be on the other side of the net at Roland Garros.

"When you want to win, you want to do it by beating the best and he's among them," Sinner said.

Sports

Mexico to Beef Up Security at Tourist Sites after Shooting at Pyramids in Lead Up to World Cup

National Guard troops patrol the Teotihuacan pyramids, which remained closed a day after a gunman opened fire on tourists at the archaeological site outside Mexico City, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
National Guard troops patrol the Teotihuacan pyramids, which remained closed a day after a gunman opened fire on tourists at the archaeological site outside Mexico City, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
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Mexico to Beef Up Security at Tourist Sites after Shooting at Pyramids in Lead Up to World Cup

National Guard troops patrol the Teotihuacan pyramids, which remained closed a day after a gunman opened fire on tourists at the archaeological site outside Mexico City, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
National Guard troops patrol the Teotihuacan pyramids, which remained closed a day after a gunman opened fire on tourists at the archaeological site outside Mexico City, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Mexico’s government said it was beefing up security at tourist sites after a man opened fire on tourists at pyramids outside of Mexico City less than two months before the FIFA World Cup.

The Monday shooting, carried out by a lone gunman on top of one of the Teotihuacan pyramids — a UNESCO Heritage Site and one of Mexico's most frequented tourist attractions — killed one Canadian tourist and injured a dozen more.

It also set off a flurry of questions the next morning by reporters to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum about what security protocols her government was taking ahead of the sports competition, which Mexico will jointly host with the United States and Canada over the summer.

About an hour from Mexico City, Teotihuacan was slated to be a key site for visitors during the festivities. Just days before the shooting, local lawmakers even pushed forward an initiative to revive a nighttime interactive light show projected on the pyramids for World Cup visitors, which was previous suspended at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The unexpected act of violence comes as Sheinbaum's government has gone to great lengths to project an image of safety ahead of the soccer competition, following a surge of cartel violence February in the World Cup host city of Guadalajara.

"Events like this only further magnify the negative images that Mexico has on security issues, undermining the narrative that President Sheinbaum is trying to build that Mexico is a safe country," The Associated Press quoted Mexican security analyst David Saucedo as saying.

On Tuesday, Sheinbaum acknowledged that the archaeological site lacked security filters to prevent the attack in part, she said, because the shooting “was an isolated incident" that hasn't occurred before in such a public space.

While Mexico suffers from cartel violence, especially in strategic and rural areas, mass shootings in public spaces are rare in Mexico compared to the US, where it is much easier to legally obtain a gun.

She noted that the shooter appeared to be motivated by “outside influences," particularly the 1999 Columbine massacre in Colorado.

“Our obligation as a government is to take the appropriate measures to ensure that a situation like this does not happen again. But clearly, we all know — Mexicans know — that this is something that had not previously taken place,” Sheinbaum said Tuesday morning.

Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch, the face of the government's crackdown on cartels, said on Tuesday that security forces had been ordered to “immediately strengthen security" at archaeological sites and major tourist destinations across the country.

He said the government will increase the presence of Mexican National Guard, boost security checks at key sites and fortify surveillance systems to “identify and prevent any threats” against citizens and visitors.

The announcement was an effort by Mexican authorities to assuage ongoing concerns about violence in Mexico ahead of the tournament.

Sheinbaum's government has touted security successes under her leadership. Homicides have dipped sharply since she taken office to the lowest levels in a decade, government figures show. The government has also taken out a number of top capos and highlighted a dip in fentanyl seizures at the US-Mexico border.

But they have hit hurdles in recent months, namely a burst a violence in Guadalajara in February, triggered by the killing of Mexico’s most powerful cartel boss. The bloodshed was met with a wave of concern by people in and outside of Mexico.

Sheinbaum vowed there would be “no risk” for fans coming to the tournament and FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he had “full confidence” in Mexico as a host country.

Sheinbaum later met with FIFA representatives to assess security for the World Cup matches to be played in Mexico.

Mexico’s government doubled down on security measures, which include deploying 100,000 security forces across the country, particularly concentrated in the country’s three host cities, Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

Officials said it would deploy more than 2,000 military vehicles, as well as dozens of air crafts and drones, and establish security perimeters around areas like stadiums and airports in key cities.

"As you can see, we are very prepared for the World Cup," Sheinbaum said in early March.

Despite the rare nature of the Monday shooting at the pyramids, the extreme act of violence reignited scrutiny by some about the government's capacity to prevent violence during the soccer tournament, and once again boosted pressures on the government.

FIFA was approached for comment about the pyramid shooting, but the soccer body typically does not address security issues and incidents that happen away from tournament venues.

Saucedo, the security analyst, said that pressures to concentrate security in host cities and tourist areas like Teotihuacan may come at the expense of other more crime-torn areas in greater need of police and military.

"Events like the one that took place yesterday in Teotihuacan clearly show that public safety agencies are overwhelmed," he said.

Sports

Bellingham Buys Minority Stakes in the Hundred Franchise Birmingham Phoenix

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Deportivo Alaves - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - April 21, 2026 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham reacts. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Deportivo Alaves - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - April 21, 2026 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham reacts. (Reuters)
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Bellingham Buys Minority Stakes in the Hundred Franchise Birmingham Phoenix

Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Deportivo Alaves - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - April 21, 2026 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham reacts. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Deportivo Alaves - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - April 21, 2026 Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham reacts. (Reuters)

England ‌international Jude Bellingham has acquired a minority stake in The Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix, co-owners Warwickshire County Cricket Club said on Wednesday.

The Real Madrid midfielder will take a 1.2% holding and will focus ‌mainly on ‌community engagement and ‌social ⁠projects. Warwickshire will ⁠remain the majority stakeholder with 50.4% shares, and Knighthead Capital Management will hold 48.4%.

"I feel like I owe the ⁠city something," the 22-year-old ‌said ‌in a statement.

"I was fortunate ‌growing up I had ‌the option of playing cricket and playing football, but some kids don’t have that ‌opportunity. It’s important that if I can get ⁠involved ⁠in something like this to shine a light on an opportunity for kids, then even better."

The sixth season of the tournament, which uses a 100-ball format, runs from July 21 to August 16.